Katherine Clifton (left) and Shreya Nathan (right) were among the many freshmen who were matched together as roommates by filling out a questionnaire about their living habits. Often these seemingly random pairings turn into lifelong friendships at Princeton.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Clifton

Multimedia: Featured

Video feature: Roommates

Posted April 2, 2012; 12:00 p.m.

by Nick Barberio

Before starting freshman year, each incoming student is asked to fill out a detailed survey asking questions such as, "Are you an early riser?" and "Do you consider yourself organized and neat?" in relation to living habits.

Though students are randomly assigned to one of six close-knit residential colleges, much thought goes into which pairs or groups of students will get along based on the answers the students give on their questionnaires. In this video, roommates provide perspectives from their first year and from their last.

"You never know who you're going to be put with," said senior Kevin Laskey. "Sometimes, the mystical sheets that tell you exactly who you're going to be with … don't work. And sometimes they work out extremely well. But either way, a lot of it is if you come into it with the right mindset."

According to freshman Shreya Nathan, "The best part is really just knowing that everyone is … right there with you learning the same things about themselves, about Princeton, about each other. So that just makes it that much easier to bond."